TONY STINNETT, Courier Co-Editor
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 4:25 am

Advancements in cancer research and cures have made great strides through recent decades but there remains a great deal of work to be accomplished in the fight against the disease.

If you want to help do something to help fight cancer, think about taking in a local basketball game this week.

Basketball teams from the six grammar schools in Cannon County are doing their part to help fight cancer through the annual Cannon County Cancer Tournament, scheduled to begin Tuesday at Woodbury Grammar School.

All six grammar school teams will participate in the annual event with games scheduled Tuesday (Dec. 7), Thursday and Saturday at Woodbury Grammar School. All proceeds from the Cannon County Cancer Tournament are donated to the American Cancer Society.

“When you put something as good as basketball with something as wonderful as the Cancer Society then it’s a win-win for everyone,” said East Side Principal Karen King, president of the Principal Study Council. “I think this event also helps make the young people aware of cancer and what it can do. More recently we have had students in our county affected by cancer so it puts a human side to it when friends are affected and so forth.”

Seeds are based on the teams’ record through the first five games. Woodland’s boys (10-0) and Auburn’s girls (11-0) are the top seeds.

Action begins when fourth-seeded Woodbury Grammar faces fifth-seeded Short Mountain at 4 p.m., followed by a first-round boys game pitting No. 4 East Side against No. 5 Woodbury Grammar at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday.

No. 3 West Side girls face No. 6 East Side at 6:30 p.m., and No. 3 West Side faces No. 6 Short Mountain in a boys first-round game at 7:45 p.m.

“This is like a mid-season tournament and the teams can kind of gauge where they are at this point,” King said. “The coaches and players always seem to enjoy the tournament and the money goes toward a good cause so this is a tournament people look forward to.”

Semifinal action takes place Thursday. Auburn and Woodland’s boys and girls receive byes and play Thursday. Championships are scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m., respectively.


Cannon County Cancer Tournament
Woodbury Grammar School (Dec. 7-11)

Tuesday, Dec. 7
Girls
(4) Woodbury Grammar vs. (5) Short Mountain School 4 PM
(3) West Side School vs. (6) East Side School 6:30 PM
Boys
(4) East Side School vs. (5) Woodbury Grammar 5:15 PM
(3) West Side School vs. (6) Short Mountain School 7:45 PM

Thursday, Dec. 9
Semifinals
Girls
(1) Auburn vs. winner of WGS/SMS 4 PM
(2) Woodland vs. winner of WSS/ESS 6:30 PM
Boys
(1) Woodland vs. winner of ESS/WGS 5:15 PM
(2) Auburn vs. winner of WSS/SMS 7:45 PM

Saturday, Dec. 11
Girls Consolation Game 4 PM
Boys Consolation Game 5:30 PM
Girls Championship Game 6:30 PM
Boys Championship Game 7:45 PM